Excited to share the "Primes and Funding" panel at FedTech's Inland Empire Innovation Summit with Christopher Lay, Djian Rembrandt Salgado, Rachel Stern, &James Kainz.

Key takeaways for startups building in the defense and government ecosystems:

Shifting Defense Posture:

In 2022, the DOD's SBIR program saw a remarkable 20% year-over-year increase in contract amounts. This growth goes beyond traditional military assets like shipbuilding and covers the entire national security infrastructure, including logistics, cybersecurity, IT services, and more.

Finding the Solution Match:

Startups selling to state and local governments? Research the legislation introduced into your target market. Does this problem have government funding? Is there a working group behind it? Focus on solving known problem sets for local or state governments.

Make Sure You Can Walk the Walk:

As a startup, primes understand you don't have all the answers. Ensure you can deliver or seek help when needed. Don't wait until it is too late.